The decision over whether Liverpool build a new stadium or redevelop Anfield will be one of the defining moments of NESV’s time as owners of the Merseyside Club. I for one have always been in favour of a move to Stanley Park. There are of course many historical and sentimental reasons for staying at Anfield but I feel that the best course financially for the club is to move away from our home. To compete with the best teams in the Premier League, a big stadium, with not only larger gate receipts but other match day revenues, is required. A great deal of money can be raised from naming rights for the new stadium, significantly larger corporate facilities, other match day revenues such as many advertising spots around the stadium as well as greater retail facilities to increase the amount each fan pays on each visit to the ground. These all seem like cold, calculating facts rather than the spirit and pride that a stadium should enthuse in a fan but I feel it is only right to be realistic.
Many journalists have gone on about the fact that NESV have re-developed the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park but in actuality, they have only added a total of 6,000 seats from 33,000 to 39,000. The greatest progress in profit from the redevelopment has been in corporate areas and in increasing ticket prices. This is all well and good in Boston, but I don’t think such an approach will be welcome in Liverpool in regards to ticket proce. This is only my opinion and there will be many who will disagree with it but I believe that redeveloping Anfield is not the way to go. Certainly there can be scope to increase Anfield’s capacity as well improving corporate revenue, but I fear any such improvements will not see an increase in turnover like there would be by moving to a new stadium. An increase to 55,000 with no scope for expansion after, compared to a 60,000 seater all new purpose built stadium with expansion to 70,000 an option is a choice that made solely with numbers is a no brainer.
Of course, no such a decision for a Reds fan can be solely made on numbers; after all the history of Anfield speaks for itself and NESV understand that. They will want to take as long as possible to make the right decision for the club and its fans. There is a stumbling block to this long deliberation process though: Liverpool City Council. Councillor Anderson stated bluntly back in October:
“My responsibility is to the people of Anfield. If we get to April without a decision, Liverpool city council will make a decision. I’ll be looking at proposals (for Stanley Park) in terms of a Plan B. The government has taken away £45m a year from this council and money from the Housing Market Renewal Fund to create housing in Anfield has now been put into the Regional Growth Fund so we’re competing with the whole of the country.”
The decision maybe taken out of NESV’s hands. Clearly Liverpool City Council want Liverpool to build a new stadium at Stanley Park because they are aware it will bring regeneration to the area. With the lack of money the council has, the Reds investing at Stanley Park will effectively do the job for them, but if they don’t have a decision by April, they want to be able to find other businesses to regenerate Stanley Park.
Initially John W Henry talked about taking up to two years to decide on the issue:
“When we [NESV] went into Boston, we spent three years trying to figure out whether we should build a new stadium, or refurbish the existing one. Here, we don’t have that luxury, we need to move faster, so hopefully within a couple of years we’ll have a decision on which way we’re going to go. Hopefully within a year, but I don’t want to set a hard, fast time limit on when to make that decision.”
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My dream would be a copy of the millenium stadium but with a pitch that we can move in and out.build for 80.000 and use only 60.000 seats ..When road and parkings around the stadium is buildt the we can open up the other 20.000 seats ..
that’s the first time i’ve heard about NESV taking 2 years just to make a decision! and that’s very disappointing, i would have hoped for work to be beginning by next summer!
as for which way to go? personally, i agree with the author here, definately the stanley park option makes more sense, the only plus from dumb and dumber’s reign was a fabulous stadium design, the fans deserve it and i THINK the majority want it.
It is a difficult choice, my heart says redevelop Anfield and my head says move to a new stadium.
Unfortunately football is all about money and business and it will be the money that has the final say.
Until the day comes that the FA can stop the disgustingly high wages paid to players then the fans will continue to suffer and continue to be asked for more money.
How has it been allowed to happen that a footballer can earn more in a month that it’s fans earn in a lifetime?
Just get the 70,000 seater built not 60,000.
Price the tickets appropriately and proportionately in respect of view, access to facilities etc.
Increase the number of season ticket holders dramatically if necessary. Just how long is the waiting list? 50,000?
Get the youngsters of Liverpool into the ground at a heavy discount if there is a problem filling the 70,000 seats.
Build for success not mediocrity.
I think the only realistic plan is to move to Stanley Park.
I don’t think anyone wants to see H&G’s (spit) stadium. But I do think that they had the right idea. A stadium designed around as large and steep as possible single tier Kop. And a design that concentrates the sound. The other three sides should be three tier designs with the middle tier used for executive boxes.
As has been said, design for 80,000 seats, with an initial license for 60,000-65,000 seats. Then work with the council to improve transport infrastructure (railway station(s), park and rides, etc) in order to obtain the license to open up the rest of the seats.
@David Tulley, bearing in mind a couple of the other comments, perhaps you should do another poll to ask IF we should move to Stanley Park, do fans want to see H&G’s design or an all new design?
I might just do that Baldrick, thanks.
The design is immaterial at this stage.You want a new design then expect a further three years whilst the oorder goes out for an architec and then a “suitable” design – ie. further delays! We need at least a 75,000 seater. I mean today ManU fills 72,500 at Old Trafford. That’s where a vast amount of money comes from….
With something like a football ground each supporter would like to have a piece of it so why not do what they are doing at my local school. charge people £10 to have their name enscribed on a brick thats used to build the stadium. that will pay for around half of the cost then give naming rights for the rest. It should pay for itself!
swag that’s crazy enough to work.
the question is do we want to sell our soul like arsenal. 80%of their income on matchday comes from 20% of the seats: the executive “diamond club”.
does anyone have any opinons on this?
great idea swag!
@me, i could live with that mate, if it makes us competitive, i wouldn’t see it as selling our soul, just moving with the times however distasteful
Building a new stadium without the possibility of expansion to at least 80,000 capacity would be short-sighted.
Just gotta say, I love this website. By far the best blog/forum. Much better than that self serving, egotistically Kanwar website.
An example of the unhelpful Jamie talks about – not even related to the article, just a chance to have a pop – chump!
As for a stadium I think Stanley Park is the best long term option and make sure there is the prospect to expand to 80,000 seats and price tickets accordingly in terms of view and access to facilities as Eugene said.
Kanwar is a plonker who want to pose with simon davies and hodgson at his press conf.but Kanwar this wont happen cos turkey neck will be gone in jan.as turkeys get thing neck rung at xmas do one roy the west ham jobs got your name on it
You have to laugh.
Firstly Liverpool didn’t sell out their season tickets this year.So why didn’t this 50K on the waiting list take them up?????
Secondly have you seen some of your gates this year?
You don’t need 50K let alone 70 or 80.
Dreamers.
BillyB, what the hell are you on about? This site is for Liverpool fans, if your not a fan…sod off
Yeah, that’s right, if you’re not a fan, piss off!
Guys we need a new stadium to be able to compete with other major European clubs. The only reason LFC can’t pull in the revenue of teams like Man U and Arsenal is because we don’t have a stadium big enough. Build the new stadium, 60,000 – 75,000 seater, and stop keeping the fans waiting!
At BillyB im afraid you are talking crap about the season tickets. On the official Liverpool Website it states “there is currently a waiting list of many years for a new season ticket” so if they were not sold how would there be a waiting list of many years! Sounds to be like another bitter anti Liverpool Fan! Average attendance last year 42,864 out of 45,362 most of that you will find was the away stand not being full!
Since when did ‘we’re being really cagey and vague about all matters’ inspire anything other than secrecy and FEAR of corruption (Fool me once…)Where’s the ambition.This is LFC.Are you even aware at what a bargain you’ve already got.
Two years to THINK about it ?, meh
Sounds like you’re here to ‘milk’ not FARM.
Why not buy some players while you ‘think’ and show a little AMBITION to motivate the team and fans alike.Can you possibly comprehend how disasterous it would be if we fail to qualify for Europe this year.The immediate effect would be another HUGE loss of revenue.Follow that up with the obvious fact that no-one worth a dime will even ‘want’ to play for us.We’ll be forced to pay ‘miles’ over the odds for mediocre players.This is already happening due to last seasons nightmare.(you think the likes of Masher and Aquilani left because of PMT ? )Show some intent.
I do understand the need for secrecy REGARDING SIGNINGS as quoting a budget inevitably leads to market ‘inflation’
If anything you should not only break the bank in January.You should empty it completely and bring in REAL QUALITY so that we can finish this season on a high, with new talent settled in and CL FOOTBALL as a carrot to offer any further recruitments.The Summer transfer window will be crazy.I can see a few Prem teams spending £100 million plus before the new ruling comes in.
I appreciate a certain degree of caution and welcome the changes personally as I remember our success from the days when the playing field was ‘level’ (before the vultures swooped from SKY)
I also agree with your policy on youth and will continue to do so until you do something really stupid like sell Dani Pacheco.(PLAY HIM GODDAMMIT Roy.What have you got to lose ?)
The whole ‘over-the-top’ caution thing is having a terrible knock on effect from top to manager to bottom, as like the proverbial s**t…
It rolls downhill.
Only my opinion and maybe I don’t have all of the facts but right now the emphasis should be on building a team that 60,000+ people would ‘want’ to pay to watch before you even consider the ground situation.
You bought a national treasure for a fools randsom.
Investing in the TEAM above EVERYTHING else is the most important thing right now.
And by team I mean Staff, Manager included
Revenues come with success.
Stanley park is a must,it is the to go for the future! BUT NOT WITH HICKS PLAN ! I agree with Lee (1st post) the Mellinium Stdium is fantastic , something like that is what the fans want for atmosphere !
The trouble utilizing Private label rights content is the fact people usually do not apply it properly. These people really should either use it to generate ideas for topics to write about or even thoroughly re-write it or spin and rewrite it and after that put his or her own identify into it.
Interesting to hear kanwar has managed to irk so many others too. His site is a controversy-courting joke driven by his reactionary agenda. As regards the new stadium, my heart screams STAY AT ANFIELD but as Tilly says, if investment is forthcoming in the playing staff and we manage to wid owselves of woy, then with the success that should follow, i can see how the head takes over and logic dictates the move to a bigger, revenue-raising home. But start with the team John!!!
That’s right, Anfield is unbelievable, it has an uncomparable history and an internationally acclaimed legacy, every football fan across the globe knows and respects it as one of the great grounds in world football. But, as a club we need to move on, we need a bigger stadium to fit more supporters into the ground. If the fans could establish so much fame in a 45,000 seater, why not expand that concentrated passion and put it into a 60,000 seater or a 70,000 seater. Its crazy to put it off, we need a bigger ground so why not push NESV to get a move on and give us what we want.
think about this england are in the driving seat for the 2018 world cup if they get it then the funds will go towards new grounds the only thing is it would defenatly mean a ground share but every time i look at bayerns ground ithink it would not be that bad and billy b i have been on waiting list for three years now so ur talkin crap at least the stadium would be full once a fortnight
‘At BillyB im afraid you are talking crap about the season tickets.’
REALLY?
Haha
http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/The-five-Premier-League-clubs-to-sell-out-their-?urn=sow-262320